Placard



ADer.. 12, 1933.

H. kV. MARSH PLACARD Filed April '20, 1931 ,7, 0% 102.7 gm/Hw rma f f7 JW .y

Patented Dec. l2, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to anadvertising novelty and has particularly to do with a placard which is adapted to be disposed upon a plurality of items of merchandise and support one or more 5 similar or diierent articles of merchandise in a different horizontal plane.

The production of a satisfactory display of bottles or the like has been a problem which has long confronted the retailer or the manufacturer of bottled goods who desired the retailer to display the bottles to attract attention.

A group of bottles is ordinarily an unimpressive display, and the average retail dealer will not make any effort to place bottles upon display because of their lack of distinctiveness. With the supply, however, of a device which will make a plurality of bottles, or other items of merchandise, stand out prominently and in an attractive manner,v the objection to displaying bottles and the like is readily overcome.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and novel means for displaying bottles and similar` articles of merchandise.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and novel placard suitable for advertising bottles and the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an advertising placard which is adapted to be maintained in useful form by items of merchandise and concurrently support other items of merchandise.

A fourth object of the invention is a new and improved advertising display.

Still another object of the invention is the provision oi' a placard which is adapted to be secured to a plurality of bottles or other items of merchandise and at the same time support another bottle or other item of merchandise, the several items of merchandise or bottles being maintained in a substantially fixed position by the placard.

These objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, are obtained by the novel construction, unique combination, and improved arrangement of the several elements which constitute the single form of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a placard made in accord with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the placard on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing a bottle disposed in the center thereof;

Figure 3 is a similar view on the line 3 3 of 55 Figure 2; and

(Cl. E11-73) Figure 4 is a front elevation of a placard disposed upon a plurality of units of merchandise and holding another.

Like reference characters are used to designate similar parts in the drawing and in the description of the invention which follows.

The device, in its preferred form, may be cut from a single sheet or blank of suitable cardboard or the like. In Figure 1, score lines are represented by broken lines, While die cuts are represented by full lines.

The blank shown in Figure 1 comprises a main body 10 upon which may appear suitable advertising matter. The conguration of the body 10 is not essential but it is preferably symmetrical in respect to the devices to be displayed, which may be bottles or cans or other items. There should be a symmetrical relationship between the body of the blank 10 and the remainder of the device.

The peripheral margin of the body 10 at its two sides and top may be regular or irregular as desired by the advertiser.

There are two score lines 11 and 12 separating the body 10 from an adjacent section 13. In the section 13, are apertures 14 and 15 through which the necks of bottles may protrude in the manner hereinafter indicated. At the center of the device is a generally circular die cut 16. The material within the die cut 16 is trimmed to. provide 85 a tongue 17 extending from the body 10 and in alignment therewith, the tongue 17 being intermediate the innermost end of the scores 11 and 12.

While the tongue 17 may have any desired conguration, the preferred form therefor is shown with a niche 18 in the bottom thereof with wings 19 and 20 at the sides of such niche.

Section 13 is divided from the next adjacent section by a line of scores 21. Said next adjacent section is designated 22, and extending therethrough are two apertures 23 and 24, which are adapted to receive the necks hof bottles and which apertures are larger in diameter than the apertures 14 and 15.

Section 13 is normally printed in harmony with the body 10 and the ilgure or marking thereon generally has a definite relation to the printing or marking upon the body 10. It is unnecessary to mark or print the section 22 which is an under section and which'is normally not visible to the eye when goods are upon display because covered at the top by section 13 and normally horizontal.

Depending from section 22 and separated therefrom by two lines of scores 25 and 26, is the bottom section of the device designated 27. The score lines 25 and 26 at their innermost ends are separated by a semi-circular die cut 28 extending upwardly into section 22 whereby a tongue 29 is provided. Section 27 normally is printed or marked to provide a part of the advertising display as such section is vertical in the assembled device and in full view when the device is in use.

The placard is assembled as is shown in Figure 4. The tongue 17 is held in position by the tongue 29 which extends inwardly of the niche 18 between the wings 19 and 20, said wings resting upon the back of section 27. A ilrm interlock is thus attained whereupon the device in its articulated condition may be disposed upon two bottles 30 and 31 and have seated within the substantially circular aperture 16 therein, a third bottle 32, the third bottle 32 resting upon the rear side of section 22.

Bottles 30 and 31 support the device by the engagement of the necks of the bottles with the material in the apertures 23 and 14 on ,one side and 24 and 15 on the other side. The shoulder oi the bottle may rest upon the bottom section 27 thus insuring that the device will be held in a vertical position at all times.

The seat provided for bottle 32 upon section 22 is truly horizontal and normal to the body l0 and tongue 17 and as the device is iirmly secured in position by the bottles 30 and 31, there 1s no danger of tilting ,or upsetting the device while the bottle 32 is disposed therein.

The device may take many other physical forms and may be arranged for diierent types of merchandise without departing from the spirit of the invention which is fully set forth in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. A placard comprising a sheet of material having a plurality ol' parallel articulations therein dividing said sheet into a plurality of sections, certain of said sections formed by said articulations having extensions beyond the margins defined by such articulations to provide an interlock, and two of said sections having apertures permitting said placard to telescopingly engage items of merchandise suitably disposed upon a base, one of said apertured sections providing a shelf for another item of merchandise to be seated between and above the first referred to items of merchandise.

2. A placard comprising a sheet ot material having a plurality of parallel articulations therein dividing said sheet into a plurality of sections, certain oi' said sections having extensions beyond the margin of articulation to provide an interlock therebetween, two of said sections having apertures adapted to receive items of merchandise, and one of said two sections providing a seat independently of the apertures therein i'or additional merchandise, said additional merchandise projecting through an aperture in the other of said two sections.

3. A placard comprising a sheet of material having a plurality of parallel articulations therein dividing said sheet into a plurality of sections, certain of said sections having extensions beyond the margin of articulation to provide an 105 interlock therebetween, two of said sections having apertures adapted to receive items of merchandise, one of said apertured sections being adapted to provide a seat independently of said apertures for additional merchandise, and the 110 other of said apertured sections providing merchandise engaging means to maintain such merchandise in such seat.

HARRY V. MARSH. 

